


Remember When

by Katybug1992



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: But mostly fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: Brayden remembered the first time he met Jaden - six years old at a hockey camp. One second was all it took for him to become mesmerized by the small boy, smaller than the others but faster and better. And Brayden wanted to be his best friend.
Relationships: Brayden Schenn/Jaden Schwartz
Kudos: 8





	Remember When

**Author's Note:**

> Based off the song "Remember When" by Alan Jackson

1.Remember when I was young and so were you and time stood still and love was all we knew.

Brayden remembered the first time he met Jaden - six years old at a hockey camp. One second was all it took for him to become mesmerized by the small boy, smaller than the others but faster and better. And Brayden wanted to be his best friend.

As they got older, playing against each other during the year and doing various camps and workshops together during the Summers, Brayden became more and more obsessed. And no one knew Jaden’s style of play better than Brayden. No one knew Jaden better than Brayden.

He was sixteen when asked Jaden out, nervous and biting his lip, hoping he got the answer he wanted. And then grinning widely when Jaden smiled shyly and agreed. And Brayden felt like he was flying and he knew he would do anything to make Jaden smile, to make him happy. In that moment, nothing else existed.

2.You were the first, so was I. We made love and then you cried. 

Jaden was Brayden’s first everything that mattered. And Brayden was Jaden’s.

The first time they had sex, Brayden’s parents and brother were both out for the weekend. He had made them dinner, lit probably way too many candles in his room, and Jaden was everything he’d dreamt he’d be. 

And Jaden had cried. Because Jaden Schwartz never thought he was good enough for anything that happened to him. And Brayden spent the rest of the night proving to Jaden that he was good enough, that Brayden loved him, until Jaden almost believed him. Which was as good as he was gonna get until Jaden’s confidence grew.

3.Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk, gave our hearts, made the start, and it was hard.

They got married at the cabin. It was as small as it could be. Family. His Philly teammates, Jaden’s Saint Louis teammates. NDAs had to be signed, not photos posted on social media. Brayden definitely cried and Jaden would go to his grave denying that he did. 

And it was hard. It was hard knowing that they couldn’t share their happiness with the world. It was hard planning the wedding in their limited free time during the season. It was hard not being able to have those dumb planning fights in person.

But it was all worth it. Because at the end of it, he had Jaden by his side forever.

4.We lived and learned life threw curves

Brayden had had a feeling a change might be coming, but he had never dreamed that he would be traded to St. Louis. To get to play on the same team as his husband - and he was still getting used to calling him that. And Brayden couldn’t find it in himself to be truly sad about leaving the city that had been home to him for six years. Because Jaden had always been home.

And it wasn’t a seamless transition - going from only living in the same space a couple months out of the year to being together 24/7. Little things that normally wouldn’t bother them due to limited time together became big things.

Jaden surprised him by suggesting they look at houses. The condo he had been in for the past several years was fine for just one person - guests for a limited time - but it was starting to feel too small for both of them. And if they wanted to start a family at some point, they would need rooms for said family. And maybe a couple pets.

And Brayden had grinned widely and kissed him, before Jaden pulled back up and pulled up Zillow.

5.There was joy

Brayden didn’t think anything would ever compare to winning the Cup. But winning the Cup, with Jaden by his side - on his line - was something he wasn’t prepared for, something he never thought he’d have. And as soon as they were freed from the mass of teammates, they grabbed each other.

And as soon as they got to the locker room, they took a moment to hide away from the cameras and bask in the moment together. 

Brayden didn’t think anything could match the way this felt.

6\. There was hurt

They got the call that another attempt at adoption had fallen through and Jaden locked himself in their bedroom and Brayden had to call Vladi to come get him out.

And that part stung a little. Because they needed each other in that moment, but the only person who could help Jaden wasn’t Brayden. But if there was one person he knew, it was Jaden. And he knew that Jaden didn’t like being raw and exposed. 

He had let Brayden comfort him the first few times. But this was the fifth time and Jaden couldn’t keep up the front. He had always been someone who needed to crumple in piece and the only person who never understood that had been Vladi - so he was the only person allowed to see it.

It’s not like Jaden never let Brayden in when that happened. But when they both needed to be equally upset? Jaden knew seeing him broken would make it worse for Brayden.

When he finally emerged, Jaden hugged Brayden tightly and apologized. Brayden had hugged him back with just as much force and told him that he never needed to hide from him.

7.Old ones died 

Brayden’s mom called him as he was settling into Philly after getting traded from LA and he was booking the next flight out, texting Simmer that he needed to get back home for a couple days. Camp hadn’t started yet, but he wanted to let Wayne know why he wasn’t around suddenly.

He grabbed a rental car and drove straight to the Schwartz house, offering his condolences and hugs to Jaden’s parents, letting know his were heading over to help them with whatever they needed, before heading up the stairs to Jaden’s room.

When he opened the door, he found Jaden sitting on the bed, gaze focused out the window, and trying so hard to keep it together, clutching a framed picture of him and Mandi, taken shortly after the NHL Draft. Brayden slipped out of his shoes and climbed on to the bed next to, letting Jaden shatter with promises to help him pick up all the pieces.

8.And new were born

Holding their daughter for the first time was like nothing Brayden had ever experienced. And seeing Jaden smiling down at her, his life felt complete.

It had been a long time getting to this point, but at the end of the day, Brayden didn’t regret going this route. Sure, he wasn’t looking forward to the 11 hours on the plane from Ghana back to Toronto and then the flight from Toronto back home with a two, but looking at her, she was worth it. She was so worth it.

“Are you planning on changing her name?” one of the nuns who ran the orphanage asked after giving them a couple minutes of privacy after the paperwork was signed.

“If it wouldn’t have any negative effects on her,” Brayden responded. Of course, they had a name picked out already but they could save it if her name had a special meaning.

“She came to us with no name, we gave her the name Rose as placeholder.” the nun replied, and Brayden knew that, but she had also been going by Rose for almost two years.

“Mandi,” Jaden whispered, “Mandi Rose.”

“Mandi Rose Schwartz-Schenn?” Brayden looked over at his husband.

Jaden shook his head, “Just Schenn.”

“But she’s our daughter. I want -”

“She has a piece of me,” Jaden replied, “She’s going to have my sister’s name. I think she can have your last name.”

Brayden grinned and kissed his forehead.

“Let’s go home.” 

9.And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged  
Jaden got hurt, bad, at 34. He wasn’t getting any younger and when the doctor broke the news that it would never heal right and adjusting wasn’t easy for either of them. Their parents came down to help with the kids and Jaden, because Jaden couldn’t move on his own easily - probably wouldn’t be able to for a couple of weeks, until he was able to start PT.

The night after Jaden’s PT told him he could try skating, Brayden got one of their teammates to watch the kids and rented out a small rink. He stayed by Jaden’s side the entire night, kept at his own pace, helped him through the reality that he would never be at the skill level he was at before, helped him off the rink and to one of the benches when Jaden’s knee started to bother him.

But eventually they adjusted. It took a lot of getting used to, especially not having Jaden with him on the ice. But Jaden brought the kids to watch practice occasionally and they were at almost every home game. 

Brayden would have rather had Jaden next to him on the ice, but he was so happy that Jaden hadn’t completely closed off like he probably would have before the kids. Jaden dove headfirst into being a full-time parent with the same intensity as he brought to hockey.

10.We came together.

Brayden liked to surprise Jaden, take the time to step away from everyone and just be together. So the night before Jaden’s first game playing him in Philly, he sent an Uber to pick Jaden up from the hotel and bring him to Brayden’s apartment - Claude was at Danny’s for the night so they had the place to themselves.

He made Jaden’s favorite meal, lit candles, and had a bottle of wine open and ready to be poured. It was the last time they would see each other in person for a while and he wanted it to be special.

When he reiterated that to Jaden, Jaden had smiled fondly, called him a sap, and told him that it was already special because it was with him.

Sex wasn’t part of Brayden’s plan, because Jaden had to be back at the hotel by curfew, but they still ended up fucking on the couch.

And Brayden grinned like an idiot when Jaden kissed him goodnight when he dropped him off at the hotel.

11.Fell apart and broke each other's hearts

The distance they had spent their entire relationship under got to him the year Bortuzzo got traded to the Blues and seemed to immediately form a bond with Jaden.

And in every conversation they had, Jaden mentioned “Boboh” and Brayden didn’t know why he said it. He should have been used to it. Jaden had a close relationship with a bunch of the guys on his team team - they were a close locker room.

But Brayden had just seen the photo of Bortuzzo sitting on Jaden’s back, Jaden dressed in a unicorn onesie and clearly a little tipsy, and the accusation flew out of his mouth.

And Jaden had been quiet for almost a full minute and before Brayden could responded, Jaden muttered a low “Fuck you, Schenn” and hung up.

He didn’t respond to any of Brayden’s text or calls and he couldn’t let this relationship end because he was stupid. He couldn’t.

Claude came over to find Brayden shitfaced and crying and - though Pietrangelo - found out that Jaden wasn’t in a much better state.

12.The sound of little feet was the music

It was a typical Saturday, where they had no practice and game of their own, but the kids had something.

“Mandi! We’re going to be late!” Jaden yelled up the stairs, taking the travel mug of coffee from Brayden. Taking a sip, he said, “You sure you want ballet? I know you had some issues with the moms last time.”

“Most of them like me when Brenda’s not there.” Brayden replied, yelling up the stairs, “Jason, come on!”

“I can’t find my bag!” their six year old son called down.

“It’s already in the car!” Jaden shot back.

They had adopted Jason after a team visit to a children’s home. He had been coloring in a corner by himself. The director of the house said that he had been there for four years. Jaden had looked over at at Brayden and they had been thinking about giving Mandi a sibling - no one said anything about that sibling needing to be younger than her.

“Right!” Jason yelled.

“You’re gonna be okay with the hockey moms, though, right?” Brayden asked, “Because Vladi said that last time you almost fought one of them.”

“They were calling our child too small.” Jaden rolled his eyes, “The kids are four. They’re not supposed to be big.”

“Daddy, I’m ready!” Mandi came skipping down the stairs, bag over her shoulder.

“Okay, let’s go!” Jaden grinned, heading for the garage, “Wish your dad luck with the ballet moms.”

“Good luck, Papa!” Mandi chirped, following Jaden, her hockey bag hulking but she refused to let anyone carry it for her.

“Jason, if you don’t hurry, we’re gonna be late and I don’t need to start off the morning with a stink eye from Brenda.” Brayden called up the stairs again.

“She only doesn’t like you because you called her the Wicked Witch of Target.” Jason responded, finally going down the stairs in his dance uniform.

“She only heard me call her that because you didn’t tell me she was behind me,” Brayden replied, “Now, let’s go!”

13.We danced to week to week

Brayden tried to keep the romance between them, doing little things to remind Jaden that he still meant the world to him.

They were in the kitchen, cleaning up from the day after the kids were in. The lights were dimmed and Jaden’s favorite Country station on Pandora was playing. When a particularly sappy song came on, Jaden wrapped his arms around Brayden’s shoulders. Brayden put his arms around Jaden’s waist and they swayed to the song.

They needed to reconnect from time to time. With hockey, and the kids, and the kids activities, it wasn’t always easy to find time. So sometimes it was just these small gestures to remind each other during the bad times, the busy times, the stressful times, that they had each other. Forever and Always.

14.Brought back the love, we found trust

It was two months of stilted talking after Brayden accused Jaden of cheating on him and finally the Flyers would be playing the Blues and they would have a chance to talk in person.

He takes an Uber to Jaden’s condo, clutching the flowers he picked up like a lifeline - like they alone could save his marriage.

When he arrived at the condo, he hesitated while reaching for his keys and settled on knocking on the door.

Jaden answered after a minute and silently stepped aside. He accepted the flowers and Brayden followed him inside, automatically stepping in to help with dinner.

He was in the middle of stirring the sauce when Jaden asked what he ever did to make Brayden not trust him. And it broke Brayden’s heart to hear Jaden sound so lost. So hurt.

“I think we need -” Jaden started to say.

“Please, don’t say space. Don’t say time,” Brayden begged, “We already have enough of that.”

“We need to find a way to trust each other again.”

“Then let’s do that. Let’s start now. Nothing held back.”

And by the time Brayden was back at the hotel, after many tears from both of them, he felt like they were finally back on the right track.

15.Vowed we'd never give it up

Jaden gets outed by an old college teammate shortly after the Cup win. Barstool runs the story. And Jaden offers Brayden an out. Says that he can handle the fallout alone.

Brayden responded by reminding of the vows they took when they got married. And Brayden has never let Jaden face any storm alone.

And that’s how, with the support of their teammates and the Blues organization, they became the first out NHL players.

16.Thirty seemed so old now lookin' back, it's just a steppin' stone to where we are, where we've been

Brayden had always dreaded turning thirty. Thirty meant old in his mind.

But thirty also meant he had spent over half of his life with Jaden. Thirty meant married. Thirty meant going to Ghana at the end of the previous season to bring home their daughter. 

And he couldn’t see what sixty had in store of them.

17.Said we'd do it all again

There was no doubt in either of their minds that, despite all their ups and downs, they would do it all over again if given the chance.

Because they could not image a life without each other in it.


End file.
